garyriss

Hello everyone..

I'm a brand new member to this forum and relatively new to the whole mountain biking scene in general. i would really appreciate a little feedback on what your opinions are on the bikes you would recommend. currently i am looking into purchasing another bike that is built to last, is stylish, and can handle off-road terrain pretty good. I currently own a GT mountain bike (it's an avalanche i think) but it's getting pretty old (i've had it for close to 5 years now). I would be more then willing to look into different bike manufacturers. I don't want to spend over $550 CDN on a bike, and yes i know that won't get me anything that great, but it is enough to get me a descent ride im sure. What are your thoughts/opinions on Norco and Specialized bikes as well? are they better then GT's?

help..

chris_pnoy

What kind of riding do you plan on doing? I see that is about $450 USD, so you can get into some good bikes at that price range.

Specialized and Trek are some good brands, but in the end it comes down to personal preference and how you'll be riding.

garyriss

I'll be doing some off-road riding, but not serious enough for a full-suspension system. I guess you could classify me as an average rider. I've heard Specialized bikes are pretty good, however i haven't heard much about Trek. I'll be sure to look into those bikes as well as any others that are recommended. How do you (or any other person) feel about GT's? My last GT lasted me pretty good but was pretty expensive..

Sofokles

I have a GT Aggressor that I bought third hand for $50 and treated with new cables, bottom bracket and brake pads, some grease and oil, and I must say it is a real pleasure to ride. Since I've got it I've had much fun trying friend's muh newer and expensive bikes and haven't yet found any that really is worth what they paid for it.
I like it so much I bought an avalanche frame that I'm fitting second hand parts on.

garyriss

Sofokles.. i must say i do agree with you. GT's are a pleasure to ride and are built to last. But im lookin' into purchasing mine brand new.. and that's gonna cost me big time. I'm just curious on whether or not there are any other alternatives where the quality won't be lacking too much..

thanks for all the replies so far.

chris_pnoy

Well, by some off-road riding, I'd probably recommend a cross country bike of some sort. Every company has them and they make up most of a companies profits.

I got a freeride bike, which I use to run over anything and everything. I have a Trek Bruiser 1, and I like the way Trek did their stuff. The bike feels solid and is durable. The only thing is that it is a tad bit heavy so its not meant for sustained high speeds.

As far as quality goes, I'd say Trek is like the Honda of the bike world. Good all around, great for a first timer, and very reliable and well put together, with a lot of upgrades available. There are other bikes/companies that are specifically aimed at different things for that same amount of money, so if you really know what you want then you could go for other companies.

In the end though, you should be getting a bike that feels comfortable to you, because you'll be the one that will be riding it.

garyriss

What do you guys think of Norco, Specialized, and Miele bikes?

CPclydesdale

You might not get every rider looking at your thread. I found a great way to check out other bike and comments on them is to go to the "Post your rig" forum. Hit the "last" url to see the lastest stuff. Trust me it's not all expensive and people love to post what they paid for thier ride. I haven't ridden Norco, but I hear they have a cult-like following. Specialized can get pricey even a the low end and stiff rigid hardtails. I just went to Miele bike's website and at there highest end is the minimum you would want to consider on single-track MTBing. GT's have great geomitry and a wide selection in Canada. I've ridden old mid-late '90s GTs and reallylike them. Good luck and welcome to MTBing